Hasan Beg Zádeh says, in his version of this story, that when Khalíl Páshá was marching against Ardabíl, Sháhín Gheráí deserted to the enemy, and betrayed the cause of the Osmánlís. In consequence of the information which he imparted to the kizilbáshes, they sent one or two emissaries into the Tátár camp, who circulated among the Tátárs that the Persians were in a state of entire defencelessness. This, of course, roused the Tátárs, and hurried them heedlessly onward. The words of Hákim Osmán had the same effect on, or they imparted impetuosity to the Osmánlís themselves, and the result was as we have related it, i. e. both the Osmánlís and Tátárs were defeated and routed. Among those who fell on this memorable occasion were the khán’s military judge and an Osmánlí sheikh of the name of Islám.
The news of this terrible disaster reached the royal camp during the night season: the troops in the camp were called to arms, and a council of war was held. Bákí Páshá, with his wise associates, advised to advance, without a moment’s delay, upon Ardabíl; “for,” said they, “if we retreat, the enemy will be encouraged and emboldened to pursue us, and will most certainly attack us, when every one will try to escape the best way he can. Our fate will resemble that which befell Jeghala Zádeh of former days.” This mode of address had the effect of animating the troops in the camp, when it was resolved to march forward by break of day, which they did.
The advance of the main army, under the commander-in-chief, towards Ardabíl, did not hinder the sháh, though the Osmánlís had manifested no want of firmness, from making some invidious remarks to those around him. He tauntingly asked, if the Romeilian strangers were not yet defeated? whilst, at the same time, he sent messenger after messenger with this message: “Come, let us make peace: you are coming with hostile intentions: your late defeat has been owing to your vain and premature haste.” With such words of bitter reproach as these did he fill his letters to the commanding general; and yet, at bottom, he was most anxious to conclude a peace. Last of all, on a day which blew a hurricane, one Búrún Kásim, a messenger from the sháh, entered the Osmánlí camp, and immediately presented himself before the commander-in-chief, who was at the time sitting in council with the other grandees of the army. “Why,” said the commander-in-chief to the ambassador of the kizilbáshes, “the red-heads, proud of the victory they have gained, have taunted us with disgraceful reproaches under the appearance of asking a peace: and if we retreat you are ready to fall upon us. Your professed desire of peace is hollow: which of your words can I believe?” Búrún Kásim, the sháh’s ambassador, stormed. “What,” said the intrepid vezír, but with a view of giving a facetious turn to the conversation, “is it customary, Kásim Beg, for the storm to blow so furiously in this country?” Kásim Beg was prevented from making a reply by Bákí Páshá, a man of knowledge and experience, as before hinted, who at this moment addressed the commander-in-chief thus: “No, my lord; this violent storm is only the effect of the wind of Búrún Kásim Beg’s nose.”[27] This jocular answer of Bákí Páshá was not without its effect on the mind of Kásim Beg, who now changed his tone, and said he wished God might not visit Bákí Páshá with just vengeance. “Will you never,” said he, “leave off your devilish wit: your wish is, to leave us recorded in the history of romance.” The grand vezír and those about him could not refrain from laughing most heartily at hearing Kásim Beg, and looked astonished. Kásim was again filled with rage, but it evaporated into air. When Sháh Abbás heard of this ludicrous story he praised Bákí Páshá for his malicious wit, and sent him no fewer than three loads of handsome presents on account of his facetious craftiness. But to return. The Osmánlí main army on approaching Sarav, having had abundance of provisions, proposed presenting themselves before Ardabíl, now only one stage distant, the following day. One messenger after another, however, assured them that the city was abandoned, that the lamps near the tomb of Sheikh Súfí and all manner of valuables had been removed; in a word, that the whole of the sepulchres of all the former sháhs were deserted. Under these circumstances, it appeared to the Moslems to answer no good purpose to advance any farther; and after having considered the matter in every point of view, the commander-in-chief renewed the treaty which had been entered into at the time Nesúh Páshá was grand vezír. It was, therefore, settled and signed that the sháh of Persia was, in future, to send annually to the court of Constantinople a tribute of two hundred loads of silk, and one hundred loads of other rarities. The crafty sháh, as if he meant to show how pleased he was with this renewal of the treaty, sent eight hundred camel-loads of provision of various kinds to the Moslem camp, which were accordingly distributed among the troops. To the grand vezír alone he sent nine camel-loads of sweetmeats, of preserved fruits of various sorts, of lemons and oranges, of fine flour, of rice, and of sugar, each loaf of which weighed from five to ten wakiyet. To the ághá of the janissaries, to the grand vezír’s deputy, and to the other páshás and grandees of the army he sent two, three, or five similar loads of presents, each as he thought proper. All these loads of presents were sent as tokens of the sháh’s friendship, and were conveyed to their respective owners by Mirzá Mohammed Hasan, his ambassador to the Moslem camp. On the part of the grand vezír several royal presents were sent to the sháh in return, and the treaty, after receiving the commander-in-chief’s signature, was sent him, along with Mohammed Aghá, the jibbají báshí. The Persian sháh set at liberty the whole of the Osmánlí prisoners that had been seized, and that yet remained alive, who returned to the Osmánlí camp, which, on some of the first days of Dhu’l kadah, was removed from Serav, and the army marched towards Erzerúm. In the month of Dhu’l hijja the troops were all permitted to return to their respective homes, and the grand vezír went to Tocat, where he expected to winter; but he was deposed. In the following year, however, he was made lord high admiral of the Turkish fleet.
The arrival of the king of Poland’s ambassador.
Some time before the last events which we have recorded took place, Gurgrofshá, a relative of the king of Poland, and one of his privy counsellors, arrived in Constantinople as ambassador from the court of Poland, complaining of several inroads having been made upon the dominions of Poland by the Tátárs, even since the time of the last treaty, and praying that that part of the treaty which referred to the Tátárs maintaining the peace might be enforced. The grand vezír immediately wrote to Ján Beg, khán of the Crimea, to maintain the peace inviolate.
An ambassador arrives from Fez.
The ambassador of the Pádisháh of Fez arrived at Constantinople with letters and some valuable presents for the Ottoman emperor. He also complained of some depredations which had been committed by some of the wild and wandering Arabs in the districts near Bussorah, and praying that a stop might be put to their ravages. A messenger was instantly despatched with respect to this matter to the proper quarter.
A phenomenon.
There appeared one evening in the heavens a bright pillar or column which shone like a comet; the appearance of which occasioned among the people a variety of conjectures.